OBJECTIVE: The objective was to prove effi ciency of tracheal resection in the cohort of patients of our clinic and to introduce our own modifi cation of T-cannula as a surgical alternative if tracheal resection is contraindicated. BACKGROUND: Benign tracheal stenosis, the most often represented by post tracheostomy (PTTS) and post intubation (PITS) stenosis, is a rare, but serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition. We present our experience with the management of the patients, who were referred with a benign tracheal stenosis. METHODS: In the retrospective study, patient's outcome was evaluated after tracheal resection or treatment with T-cannula from all the patients presented with a benign tracheal stenosis from January 2015 to January 2021. RESULTS: The cohort consists of forty-eight patients. Thirty-one (64,6 %) patients underwent a tracheal resection and seventeen (35,4 %) were treated with tracheostomy and T-tube insertion. In the series of patients after tracheal resection, we observed no mortality, complications occurred in ten (32,2 %) patients. They were spread proportionally; anastomotic complications were noticed in 5 (16,1 %) patients, as well as non-anastomotic complications. CONCLUSION: Tracheal resection is a safe and effective procedure with good results. T-tube insertion presents a surgical alternative if bronchoscopy is unavailable or failed (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 20).

OBJECTIVES: Analysing the results of patients with odontogenic descending necrotising mediastinitis (DNM) treated predominantly by transcervical approach. BACKGROUND: Odontogenic DNM is a rare but serious complication of dental disease and dental procedures. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of 20 patients who underwent surgery for odontogenic DNM. RESULTS: The mean age was 33.95 ± 12.24 years, and 18 patients (90 %) were men. Type I and diffuse form of DNM were identifi ed in 8 (40 %) and 12 (60 %) patients, respectively. The mean time between the onset of symptoms and surgery was 7.16 ± 4.23 days. The transcervical approach was used in 16 patients, combined cervicotomy and subxiphoid incision in three patients, and cervicotomy and posterolateral thoracotomy was used in one patient. Four patients were reoperated. The mean mediastinal drainage duration and postoperative length of stay (LOS) were 17.05± 10.27 days and 20.70 ± 10.87 days, respectively. Fourteen (70 %) patients received mechanical ventilation with a mean duration of 8.86 ± 9.55 days. Comorbidities were present in fi ve (26 %) patients; there were complications in 17 (85 %) patients. In-hospital mortality reached 5 % (1 patient). Thirty-fi ve teeth were extracted. Lower mandibular molars represented 21 (62 %) of extracted teeth. Submandibular and submental spaces were the most affected by the presence of deep neck infection (fi ve and four cases, respectively). CONCLUSION: This study supports the role of transcervical mediastinal drainage as an alternative approach in the surgical treatment of odontogenic DNM (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 30).

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effi cacy and safety of bilateral thoracoscopic cardiac sympathetic denervation (BTCSD) as an underutilised last-resort surgical technique for patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and electrical storm non-responsive to other treatment. BACKGROUND: Patients with refractory ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fi brillation, and electrical storm are at high risk of sudden cardiac death. In some patients, suboptimal results are achieved despite treatment with anti-arrhythmic drugs, implantable cardioverter-defi brillator and cardiac catheter ablation. Minimally invasive surgery affecting the stellate ganglions and sympathetic chain is an additional alternative treatment modality that may help avoid heart transplantation. METHODS: We present our experience of 3 patients who were treated with this technique for the fi rst time in Slovakia in cooperation with the National Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases. Publications on this issue are scarce despite its potential for specifi c patients. Modifi cations to avoid complications derived from our experience of sympathectomies for hyperhidrosis are introduced, and improvements are proposed to promote this technique. RESULTS: All patients showed a reduction or cessation of arrhythmias and ICD shocks with no periprocedural complications. CONCLUSION: Our experience showed that BTCSD is a safe and feasible technique with a low complication rate and promising results. The limitation of this paper is the low number of patients in our group (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 25).

OBJECTIVES:The study aims to compare the thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy outcomes. BACKGROUND: Lobectomy is considered the standard treatment method for operable non-small cell lung cancer. Recent studies have suggested that segmentectomy seems to be an acceptable alternative to lobectomy for surgical management of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 475 patients who underwent thoracoscopic anatomical resection at the Thoracic Surgery Department at University Hospital Bratislava for malignant or benign pathology from October 2012 to December 2021. Thoracoscopic lobectomy was offered to 438 patients, and 37 were treated by thoracoscopic segmentectomy. RESULTS: We recorded no difference between groups considering age and gender. The most common fi ndings in the thoracoscopic lobectomy and segmentectomy groups were primary lung cancer (73.44 %) and pulmonary metastases (59.5 %). Thoracoscopic lobectomy was associated with longer operative time (80.00 vs 110.00 min; p<0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (3.00 vs 4.00 days; p < 0.001). Both procedures were associated with a similar incidence of both intraoperative (0 % vs 4.8 %; p = 0.394) and postoperative complications (16 % vs 23 %; p = 0.353). CONCLUSION: Thoracoscopic segmentectomy is a safe and effective procedure. This technique is a viable alternative to thoracoscopic lobectomy in indicated cases. It is still not accepted as a standard procedure for lung cancer, and we would like to start a discussion on this topic (Tab. 5, Fig. 2, Ref. 20).